In other news, Super Lawyers Magazine has named me to their 2019 list of Illinois Super Lawyers®. I am grateful for my peers for nominating me. It means a great deal to have their trust and respect. According to their website,

Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a patented ( naturally I looked it up!) multiphase selection process. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with independent research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis.

The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel.

I launched this law firm in 2011, having been away from the profession for a long time. It had been years since I passed the “patent bar.” I could certainly write a patent application, but had no clue how to run a law firm. They don’t teach you that in law school LOL. I lost touch with nearly all my contacts in the legal community, so it was back to square one. What is a networking group? You mean I have to stand up and introduce myself to a group of strangers? In 30 seconds?

The local Chamber of Commerce was a great starting point. It got me comfortable tooting my own horn. I invested in a website, business cards, a P.O. Box and malpractice insurance. In those early days, I did not even have an office. One introduction led to another, which led to yet others, and continues today. North Shore LAW invited me to join, then the Exclusive Professional Women’s Networking Group. I discovered virtual offices. Word of mouth spread, and the phone began to ring. My first patent client hired me three months later. I was in business!

The MIT Alumni Association has an amazing directory, which put me in touch with two local patent attorneys. Tony and Alex gave their time to me in the early days of my practice. They encouraged me and today remain an integral part of my network. MIT was right when it told us freshmen, “it’s a great place to be from.”

I am grateful for my family, who believed in me, and especially for my husband for giving me his W. Thank you to my clients for their trust. This may be my own law firm, but it is nothing without the people who stand behind it. I look forward to many more years!